Closure means for inflatable hollow rubber bodies



' Sept. 4, 1928. 1,682,836

I. DOROGI ET AL CLOSURE MEANS FOR INFLATABLE HOLLOW RUBBER BODIES Filed090.20, 1927 I 35 reference numeral 1 indicates the we Patented s...4,,19za:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

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' I03 INFLATABLE HOLLOW BUBBE B BODIES Application fled. December 80,1987, Ierlal Io. 841,403, and in Germany January 1-7, 1927.

' This invention relates to closure means for inflatable hollowrubberbodies, particularly balls, wherein it is important that theinflating nipple or connection to ether w th the closure organ should,after e inflation, be

concealed within the interior of the hollow body in such a manner thatthe continuity of the exterior surface thereof is not 1m alred.

The essential feature of the nove closure resides in the inflating niple or connection,

which may be closed by a p ug provided wlt-h a button shaped head, beincovered by an elastic rubber covering or s in which forms a part of theouter wall of the hollow body and has an expansible opening; the latterallows the inflating connectionto be introduced but in the unstretchedcondition 15 smaller than the head at the end of the closure plug.

Three embodiments of the novel closure are illustrated'by way of examplein thesecompanying drawing in which:

F1 1 is a section of oneembodlment showing t e inflating connectionwithdrawn from 26 the hollow body,

Fig. 2 is'a similar view of the same closure witlh the connectiondepressed into the hollow b0 I I Fig. 3 a plan corres nding to Fig.2,

Fig. 4 is a sectiona view of a second embodiment of the closure and Fi 5is a cross-section of a rubber ball provided with the novel closure. p

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawm th;

0 'the hollow body to be inflated which is furnished with a thin walledflexible inflatin ni ple or connection 2. A plug 41s adapte to aeintroduced into the strengthened mouth 3 of the said connection andaccording to the invention carries a button shaped head 5 the liameter Dof which is larger than the outside diameter of said connection.

The inflating connection is passed through an o ening 6 in an extensiblerubber covering or s in" 7 which forms a part of the outside wall of thehollow body, said piece of rubher 7 being, for example, stuck at itseriphery as at 8 to the outside of the we so hollow rubber body 1. Thediameter d of I wall of the hollow bod of the.

the opening 6 is less than the diameter D of .the head 5 of the plugwhich is preferably of conical shape on the side 9 towards the plug 4wlnle the outer surface 10 of the head is 2. After inflation saidconnection 2 is closed again by means of the plug 4 and is then forced,by; pressing .on the plug-head 5 00 through t e openin 6 into theinterior of the inflated hollow dy; next the head 5 is also forcedthrough the opening 6 in the coven ng 7, the opening bein stretched toallow said head to pass throug a. This stretching 1s facilitated by theconical shape of the lower'surface 9 of the plug head. Immediatelythehead 5 has been pressed through the. opening 6 of the edge 11, whichis preferably strengthened, the latter contacts and covers said head 5,in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, so that'the internal air ressurepresses the outer surface lOof the p ug-head agalnst the covering 7forming a part of the As is evident from Fig. 2 all the parts of theclosure are, when in this condition, concashed in the interior of thehollow body in such a manner that the continuity of the extenor surfaceof the hollow body 1s unbroken. In consequence the said closure isprimanly sultab e for inflatable balls, used in games and sports, withwhich it is particu arly important that the smoothness and roundness'ofthe outer surface should be preserved.

To simplify the forcing of the connection 2 through the openin 6provision is made in the case of the mo ification illustrated in Fig. 4of a strong hard tube 12, preferably of rubber, in the interior of thethinner walled, softer inflation connection 2, said tube preferablybeing somewhat longer than said connection 2 so that the end of the tube12 projects through the 0ripening 6 into the in-' terior of the hollow by even when the con nection 2 is drawn out. In the example illustratedin Fig. 4 moreover the covering 7 is in one iece with the wall 1 of therubber hollow y to be inflated and a separate wall 100 portion 13carrying the inflating connection 2 and movable, relatively to thecovering 7, towards the interior of the hollow body is stuck to theinside of the wall 1 as at 14.

An arrangement which is even more suitable is illustrated in Fig. 5wherein the hollow body consists of two expansible rubber bladders 1 and1 one of which is inserted in the other while the expansible opening 6serving for the entr of the inflating connection and the plug- 168d 5 islocated in the outer bladder 1.

If the air is to be allowed to escape from the hollow body, the opening6 in the cover skin 7 may easily be stretched to such an extent that thehead 5 may be forced outwardly and the inflating connection 2 then drawnout readily through the opening 6 by means of the head. The closure maythen be broken by removing the plug 4.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declarethat what we claim is y 1. Closure means for inflatable hollow rubberbodies characterized by the inflating nipple, which may be closed y aplug provided with a button shaped head, being covered by an elasticrubber covering WhlCll forms a part of the outer wall of the hollow bodyand has an expansible opening, which allows the inflating nipple to beintroduced but which in the unstretched condition is smaller than thehead of the closure plug.

2. Closure means for inflatable hollow rubber bodies according to claim1, characterized by the provision in the interior of the thin walled,soft inflation nipple of a separate stiffer tube which is connected withsaid nipple at the mouth.

3. Closure means for inflatable hollow rubber bodies according to claim2, characterized by the length of the stifi'er tube in the interior ofthe soft inflation nip le being made such that on thewithdrawal oi thenipple the inner tube rojects through the opening in the outer ru bercovering.

4. Closure. means for inflatable hollow rubber bodies according to claim1, characterized by the head of the closure plug being made of conicalshape on the side toward the plu 5. Closure means for inflatable hollowru ber bodies according to claim 1, characterized by the hollow bodyconsistingof two expansible rubber bladders one of which is inserted inthe other, the inflation nipple being mounted on the inner bladder WhllBthe expansible opening serving for the entry of the inflating nipple andthe closure plug head is located in the outer bladder.

In testimony whereof we atiix our signatures.

ISTVAN DOROGI. LAJ OS DOROGI.

